Lamp support



. Jan. 12, i943. p. F. KCH LAMP SUPPORT vFiled Nov. 18, 1942 Patented Jan. 12, 1943 LAMP SUPPORT Paul F. Koch, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Chicago Die Casting Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Illinois .llzplication` November 18, 1942, Serial No. 466,004

3 Claims.

In my prior application, Ser. No. 434,181, I have illustrated a novel type of standard for desk lamps, or lamps adjustably mounted for use elsewhere, particularly in fixed positions. In the construction there illustrated, the stem which forms the immediate support for the lamp may be swung freely in one direction, but is locked against movement in the opposite direction in any position in which it may be left. The stem is made in two sections hinged together; and, in order to unlock the stem, it is necessary to rock the upper or outer section rearwardly through a small angle before and while pulling forward thereon. Some users experienced difficulty in manipulating the stem for the purpose of unlocking it, and the object of the present invention is to overcome this difficulty and cause the stem to be unlocked by the act of grasping the tion; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig.

3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a smaller fragment of the device, partly in section; and Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, I represents a suitable base adapted to be fastened to a horizontal or a vertical supporting surface, as is common in lamp construction. Cooperating with the base is a member 2, adapted to be inserted through either the top or the side of the base and be connected to the latter for turning movements about a vertical axis; this being also common construction. On the upper end of the part 2 is a member which is adapted to provide a curved bearing surface which may be either a cylinder whose axis is horizontal or a segment of such a cylinder. In the arrangement shown, this member is in the form of a shallow cylindrical cup 3. Closing the open side of the cup is a disk il having a boss 5 which ts into and has a bearing in the open end of the cup. The disk has formed integral therewith a block-l-ike piece 6 that rides on the periphery of the drum. Fastened to the part 6 is a plate 'I which extends down outside of the bottom wall of the cup to a point somewhat past the center. The disk 4 has a central post 8 whichy wall I9, which closes the pocket at the rear, when y meets a boss!) at the center of the bottom Wall of the cup. A screw I0 that extends through the free end of the plateA 1v, through the boss 9 and into the free end of the post 8, tiesthe plate and the disk together so that the unit, comprising the parts 4, E, I can turn freely around the cup shaped drum. In order to limit the turning movements of this unit the drum isr provided with two little ribs II projecting outwardly from the periphery'thereof. The parts 4, 6 and 'I may be said to constitute` the lower or inner section of a two-section stem. The other section may be a tube or bar I2 of an-y desired length having at the lower end a flattened part I3 that lies within a deep narrow pocket Ill in the part 6; this pocket being open at the top and at the front side. The members (i and I 3 are connected together by a pin I5 extending through both of them near the rear edge of the flattened' piece I3 and paralleling the axis of the drum. The pocket is of greater depth from front to rear; than the width of the part I3 which lies in the front endA of the pocket just above an opening I0 which exposes Ithe periphery of the drum. The lower end of the part I3 is so shaped that when the outerr section I2 of the stem is substantially radial to the drum, a cam portion IIv presses against the periphery ofthe drum well forward of the hinge pin I5 and, under a pull tending to swing the stem section forward, produces a binding or wedging action that locks the stem to the drum. However, when a backward force is applied to the upper stem section, in a direction to raise it, the cam is lifted away from the drum and the stem can be swung back freely.

The stem section I2 has a rearwardly projecting lug I3 that lies in the upper end of the pocket Ill. The rear end of this lug engages with the the upper stem section is rocked backward relatively to the lower stem section, so that thereafter the two sections move back together as though they constituted a single rigid bar.

In the pocket, behind the part I3, is a com- Y pression spring 2I that rests on the wall bounding the pocket at the bottom and engages at its upper end with the under side of the finger I8. This springv is under an initial compression, so that it constantly holds the cam or wedge in contact with the surface of the drum; thus insuring that a wedging action will take place immediately when the stem is released after having been swung down in the act of adjusting the lamp. With the parts in the positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, it is rst necessary to rock the upper stem section backward, or in the counterclockwise direction relative to the lower section. It is then a simple matter to retain these relative positions of the stem sections while the stem is being swung down to bring the lamp into the desired position.

In accordance with the present invention I fix to the rear side of the part 6 a long finger 2U that extends up behind and at a short distance from the stem member I2. When a user grips the stem member and the finger 20 and squeezes them as is natural in taking a firm hold, the stem member is rocked backward far enough to disengage the cam l1 from the stationary drum; this condition continuing until the hold on the stem is released.

While the automatic unlocking of the stem upon grasping it has for its main purpose to unlock the latter for swinging movements in the clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, it is evident that holding the cam clear of the drum during swinging movements in the opposite or backward direction reduces the wear on the cam and drum that would occur if the cam were allowed to ride on the drum during such back ward movements.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim: y

l. In combination, a support having a bearing surface that constitutes at least a part of a cylinder, a member connected to said support for angular movements about the axis of the bearing surface, a second member hinged to the first member and extending outwardly from the same radially of said axis, said second member having thereon a part engaged with said surface and binding thereon when said second member is turned in one direction about its hinge axis and riding freely over said surface when said second member is turned in the other direction, and a device associated with the first member and adapted to be gripped in the hand of a user along with said second member to rock the latter in the last mentioned direction relative to the first member.

2. In combination, a support having a bearing surface that constitutes at least part of a. cylinder, a member connected to said support for angular movements about the axis of the bearing surface, a, stem hinged to the first member and extending outwardly from the same radially Y of said axis, said stem having thereon a part that becomes wedged against said surface when said member is turned in the forward direction and rides freely over said surface when the turning movement is in the rearward direction, and a handle fixed to said member and extending therefrom behind and lengthwise of the stem at a little distance from the latter; whereby the stem and the handle may be gripped in one hand and the stem be rocked rearwardly relatively to said member.

3. In combination, a support, a member pivotally connected to the support, said support having thereon an element in the form of a segment of a cylinder whose axis corresponds to the pivotal axis of the aforesaid member, a stem hinged to the said member for rocking movements about an axis parallel to the aforesaid axes and having a cam for engagement with the curved surface of said element; the parts being so proportioned that when a force is applied to said stem tending to swing it in the forward direction the cam binds against said element and locks said members thereto whereas, when a force is applied to the stem tending to swing it in the rearward direction, the cam slides over said element and leaves said member free to swing in that direction; a spring tending constantly to hold said second member in such position, relatively to the first, that the cam is in locking engagement with said element; and a finger fixed to said member and extending therefrom along and behind the stem and in spaced relation to the latter, to enable a user to grip the stem and the nger in one hand and rock the stem rearwardly with respect to said member against the resistance of the spring.

PAUL F. KOCH. 

